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Five months ago, and after much thinking and asking questions here and to my doc, I switched from my dual regimen of Zerit + Epivir to my new one of Kaletra + Viread + Ziagen.Aside from the expected side effects of the first weeks that I found milder than expected, I have been feeling quite good on this formula. My latest numbers improved, CD4 went up 429 to 505 and VL went down from 8500 to 83, percentage went up a bit too( 29 to 30%). All good so far.

What is less than satisfying though is this: I have started to develop a hump of fat between my shoulder blades at the level of C7 (the vertebra that protrudes in most of us). It is not big yet but I am getting worried that at the rate it progresses it may become worrysome. I also seem to have accumulated subcutaneous fat on my abs, or that it is much harder to burn it with exercise nowadays.My transaminase levels have gone up SGOT from 34 to 101 UI/l , SGPT from 55 to 71 UI/l. Cholesterol levels went from HDL: 0.27g/l to 0.36 g/l and LDL from 0.83 g/l to 1.15 g/l Triglycerides went from 3.31 mmol/l to 3.18 mmol/l.

All this is very much in its infancy but I wonder if anyone here had such an experience of rapid fat changes with Kaletra (or maybe one of the other meds I take). After all I switched primarily because of the lipo that had eaten most of my legs fat and was starting to nibble at my feet.

In the last months of doing my first combo my right breast started to grow but it has now subsided to pretty much its original size, and two ultrasound scans have revealed no tumour of any sorts. I wonder if this was also due to meds.

Yes I took Kaletra and boy did I gain tons of weight on that...after months and months and months months of crying the doctor finally took me off kaletra and put me on Novir, Reyataz and Kivexa. Norvir is still some of whats in Kaletra, so I was still gaining...Hopefully after my next test results I will be off of those. I called them FAT PILLS cause thats what they are. When ever I see I toothpick person walking around, I just want to give them my pills.

I had exactly the same issue regarding a fatty deposit at the C7 vertabrae when I first started Kaletra about 18 months ago. Initially, it grew quite rapidly and from my perspective was troublesome. I'm not sure if this is likely or possible, but somewhere between 6 and 12 months in though, likely around the same time as my liver seemed to settle down, it seems to have gradually started to disappear. If there is anything there at the moment, it is quite minor and not of concern to me.

I am on kaletra as well. and I got a big belly, fat where i dont want it and its changed my body completely...I want a new medicine in place of Kaletra..ANyone know which would be best?

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Live Love Laugh and dance like no ones watching.Laughter is the best medicine, so try to have a laugh everyday..Even if your not feeling your best, think about something that was funny at one time in your life and work with it.. )

I am going to ask my doctor, who I see in January, to switch my meds from Kaletra tosomething else..I have gained weight and my breasts were big to start with, now those puppiesare sitting in my lap and watching TV with me. I never had fat on my back, or love handles..They say just be glad your alive...I am, but DAMN, a women still likes to look good.This year I sure didn't strut my stuff on the beach as I did in the past years..

This summer I wore a tang top and shorts due to my fatass and huge breasts.. BUMMER.So I too, will have the Kaletra changed, I already changed the combivir because thathad azt in it...Now Ill get cracking on the Kaletra.............Hopefully, I lose this fat and be able towear a bathing suit again..

It does wear down your ego as well as your body, but the medicines do keep us alive, But us ladies would like more help with this issue...For the Men, they have face fillers..Women's bodies have different changes than the men when I comes to hiv drugs forsome reason.............. So, lets pray they find a medicine that will be easy on us gurls...

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Live Love Laugh and dance like no ones watching.Laughter is the best medicine, so try to have a laugh everyday..Even if your not feeling your best, think about something that was funny at one time in your life and work with it.. )

I WAS ON ZERIT + EPIVIR oh !! BOY I'AM DAMAGE I HAD TO HAD LIPO FOR MY HUMP THAT WAS HUGE ,NOW I LOOK BETTER BUT STILL HAVE SO MUCH FAT LEFT , CAREFUL WITH THIS 2 ,BUT ALSO I MADE A MISTAKE I TOOK THEM WAY TOO LONG FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS .

I went to my doctor and now I am on Truvada instead of combivar, also onNOvir and Reyataz instead of Kaletra..

I go back in January for a blood test and Hopefully ill see if it made a difference..

I really hope so...

Now I can park my car in the spot for pregnant women and no one will question me..That's sad , but the truth..

We have to try and try again to see what works for our bodies..

What works for one women may not work for another women..

Lets wish each other the best...

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Live Love Laugh and dance like no ones watching.Laughter is the best medicine, so try to have a laugh everyday..Even if your not feeling your best, think about something that was funny at one time in your life and work with it.. )

well good luck with that. Just a word of advice. Try not to expect too much of a difference to fast. My doc says it takes a long time to get kaletra out of your system. I believe it too cause back then, I couldn't loose weight, but now i am losing.

I know Azt, Zerit can cause Lipo problems. Does Kaletra also really cause this? I just got my numbers back which look fine. I am thinking of changing meds but don't want to if there aren't actual studies indicating Kaletra is a problem. Has anyone had experience changing from Kaletra and seeing different results. Im just starting to see some Lipo problems.

Now thats a fact....My numbers were good, VL is undectable my tcells were above 200 as always..butI took the chance and changed my meds..So far so good..No side effects, and I hope this will help me in some small way tocontrol the fat issue...

Ask or rather tell your doctor, you would like to be put on something other thankaletra, thats what I did, and they said no problems..

I am on novir and zyataz..that took the place of kaletra, and I was on combiviar and switched over to Truvada...So far so good..

Got to give myself time to get rid of the kaletra that stays in your body for awhileand I hoping for the best...Yet I know we are all like mice in a lab, trying new drugsthat they say are better, but they dont know the long time side effects as of yet..BOO Freggin HOO....

Does anyone have a time machine...?? Lets set it up for say,,ummmmmmmmmmm..20 yrs later, and see what drugs they have then, that are better than the ones now.

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Live Love Laugh and dance like no ones watching.Laughter is the best medicine, so try to have a laugh everyday..Even if your not feeling your best, think about something that was funny at one time in your life and work with it.. )

I havn't been on Kaletra. In 2003 I started to notice a hump growing on the base of my neck and upper back region. It grew. I did a med change two years later. I had liposuction and it was the best decision. I feel so much better. I also notice some fat returning to my thighs and arms. For me I felt the drug contributing to these changes was AZT in Combivir which I took as part of a three drug regimen for approx. nine years. I switched Combivir for Viread and Ziagen. I take Viramune as well. Just my two cents.

Hey Pat,I am on Atripla and AZT. I don't seem to be getting any fat on my back. What is happening is my Moobs (Man Boobs) have gotten larger and my gut itself has gotten larger. I have noticed that I have lost my ass literally and my thighs are getting much smaller. Yes a little upset I am so I am now learning about this lipo thing. My Dr. is waiting for new lab work then we are going to switch to something new. She said the AZT is causing fat to move from my lower body making it go to my midsection. She stated the Sustiva of Atripla is causing fat to move to my chest. While I have always though having boobs would be kinda nice I honestly don't want em! So now that I have read this I am going to make sure it is not Kaletra she is thinking about. Bill

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Anti-HIV drug regimens containing protease inhibitors, including Kaletra, can cause abnormal body-shape changes (lipodystrophy; including increased fat around the abdomen, breasts, and back of the neck, as well as decreased fat in the face, arms, and legs). These side effects of anti-HIV drug therapy are reviewed in our lesson on lipodystrophy.

But, before you all start running riot and shouting Kaletra Bad! keep in mind about 90 percent of the meds come with this same caveat.

I applaud those who can afford liposuction (remember to spell this out since lipo means something completely different to us hi-fivers). I hope it lasts for you. Chances are though, the fat will come back.

Also, the fat around the belly is not lipodystrophy related if it is subcutaneous. Fat accumulation associated with lipohypertrophy is visceral. Subcutaneous fat means fat is probably accumulating the old fashioned way - by eating improperly.

I am not arguing that Kaletra doesn't have its down side. All HIV meds do. In fact, just about all meds of any kind do.

But before Kaletra becomes the whipping boy for everyone with a big belly, I thought a little balance was due.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always found the idea that Kaletra is less prone to cause lipo odd. Kaletra, more than other PI's, can really work a number on your lipid panel -- and of course this same thing seems to be present in those of us with lipo issues.

As far as my personal experience, while undoubtedly the "normal suspects" of HIV meds in the 90's marked the beginning of my lipo issues, I also went on Kaletra as soon as it was FDA approved and it seems my lipo became markedly worse after that. Was this a delayed effect of my pre-Kaletra drugs, or did Kaletra factor in with my lipo worsening? I have no idea, but I don't think the medical community does either -- and frankly I don't believe much of what I'm told by doctors about lipo.

At any rate, lipo is most likely the result of factors more numerous than simply our HIV meds -- immune depletion, hormones, genetic make up, etc. all come into play. And assuredly as Mark wisely points out for MANY patients there is also a mix of obesity issues. I somewhat remove myself from obesity issues as I was not above normal weight when I developed this issue, and was in the gym 5 days/wk. However, currently I can not make this claim and must assume that half of my belly is indeed subcutaneous, though half is not.

At any rate, once you get lipo there's really not shit you can do above cosmetic solutions, so getting a handle on the inevitable emotional distress is of primary importance. This can quickly spiral out of control and I can tell you that the result is not pretty -- in fact it's worse than the actual lipo. I guess the bottom line is not to allow the emotional issues interfere with med adherence. Going in the hospital with OI's is worse than noticeable over-emphasized cheek bones and a flat ass.

I have finally got out of that Nile river, and have come to grips with the fact I have lipo. My guy is huge, and my tits are big. If fact, one is larger than the other.I walked every night for more than an hour for two months. NOTHING happend.

Fuck, this is demoralizing. I have even cut out sugar almost completely. Nothing seems to help.

I have always known about lipo, but never thought I'd get it. Yeah right.

Oh well. There goes my life long dream of being a model. What's a man to do.

Hi Pat. I too, had a buffalo hump. I was Maine's first case back in (I think) 96. I had it removed because (I thought) it was causing headaches. Surgeon and my doc said they doubted the headaches were a result but they stopped after the excision. The hump was back in less than 6 weeks. Not as big, I still have it, but I'll not go through the whining and complaining necessary to get them to do another lipo on it. Oh, the surgery was local anesthesia, day surgery, they just sucked the fat out (found that some of the fat had started to connect to the muscle tissue). Bob Mac

Bob, adherence to fascia and muscle tissue is the reason why the surgeon I consulted said that, when the time to get rid of the hump would come, he'd cut it out rather than use liposuction. More invasive but if well done I understand they manage to get all (?) the stuff out. Right time will be when it really impairs movement or gets too much in the way, or when I feel too ugly.

I think I'll run the risk to see it come back and go under the knife when I feel the time is right.

Bob, adherence to fascia and muscle tissue is the reason why the surgeon I consulted said that, when the time to get rid of the hump would come, he'd cut it out rather than use liposuction. More invasive but if well done I understand they manage to get all (?) the stuff out. Right time will be when it really impairs movement or gets too much in the way, or when I feel too ugly.

I think I'll run the risk to see it come back and go under the knife when I feel the time is right.

Pat

Hey Pat, did you mean adhesion? that was what my surgeon noted, though not until he was removing the fat. he didn't admit that it made any difference, and like i said, the headaches stopped afterward. i was on kahletra even after that, and perhaps that is why another hump has grown. i've since switched too many times to even remember what i've been on (how many?) since. i've been told that all of our 'drugs to improve' have risk of other side effects that if we knew ahead of time what they would cause, would probably opt not to take them.....another day in the life i guess....here's to the right knife (when the time is!)lots a luck! Bob

hi,i also got lots of fat after starting on kaletra,a hump which i had removed by surgery four years ago,most recently my tits started getting huge as did my neck.my Vlad has been undetectable for at least six years,but the extra weight is causing my blood pressure to go up.decided to switch out kaletra for intelence,kept truvada.see the doc soon to see what the labs say.doc also measuring neck and chest to see if fat is subsiding.will keep you informed if tank tops are back in my future.I'm 53 and a long time survivor and life is good !!

I have been on Kaletra for 2 1/2 years and will be switching due to to a massive increase in LDL cholesterol and and increase in overall cholesterol. Switching to Isentress because of a bad family history of heart disease, but also because I feel that numbers like these are probably a precursor to a number of body shape changes I want to head off. My own feeling is that it is the Norvir booster with the PI's that is the major culprit here, but I am open to other arguments. This issue with Kaletra is really too bad, because Kaletra is quite a workhorse drug: many monotherapy studies with it have been promising and it has a high resistance threshold. But as more of us age, the truth is cardiovascular and metabolic issues are going to have to hold more sway in our drug regimen decisions.

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